RuthysRaggs

OdessaQuilts has Very good guidelines which I totally agree with.

One think I haven't seen addressed is if you are measuring your cut from your cutting mat or your ruler. I find that if I measure from my ruler I have less problems. I also put a strip of tape, like 2 layers of the blue masking tape on the line where I need to stop, if I'm cutting 2" strips I put it on the BACK (down) side of my ruler at 2", leaving 2" between the edge of the ruler and the tape, so that the tape stops the ruler from sliding on the fabric at exactly the same place each time I lay it against the edge of the fabric. I usually cut 4 layers at a time. I hope you see what I'm saying?

You can also use the layered tape on your sewing machine as a stop at 1/4" to guide you fabric at exactly the same width on each piece, which helps a LOT. I use a 1/4" foot with a 'bumper' on the side to help keep my seams all the same. I also use the same machine all the way thru a project for consistency thruout that project.

My last suggestion is that only God is absolutely perfect? A lot of us are perfectionists but I have come to the conclusion that life is too short and I have too many quilts to make to worry about everything being perfect. When it's all one big quilt and the quilting is done even I can't find some of the mistakes that I thought were glaring at me when I did the individual block.

Good Luck!

bonniebusybee

Ruthy ....haven't you heard? The reason you can't find those mistakes is because when you take a quilt off the frame and shake it, they all fall out! :lol:

Pat G

Bonnie, I had to laugh at this idea. I'll have to remember to shake hard.
You folks have me searching the thrift stores now. I went to Salvation Army yest. & found a 3+ yd. pc. of thin batting, 6 yds of blue print flannel, 3 1/2 yds. of pink print flannel & 2 good size pcs. of eyelet material in white & beige. All for $14.

One other pc. I found I thought was thin batting but when I got it home & ck'd it closer, it's a knit that stretches. I have no idea what to use it for.

Gerbie

Make you some pillow cases with it. They may stay on the pillows well since it stretches. Or you could make you some green bags for shopping, if it stretches it will hold more lol.

Pat G

Gerbie, I would never have thought of making pillow cases. Good idea.

RuthysRaggs

Thanks so much Bonnie, I had not heard about that before. I'll remember and share it with my friends! :thumbup:

JoanneS

I find lighting to be VERY important when I'm rotary cutting. If the light is not directly over my ruler, a shadow can make the measurement slightly 'off.'

This has been a GREAT thread. I'm eager to start cutting out my next quilt! I've finally finished all my other projects, and I get to do something for MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

RuthysRaggs

WOW! All projects finished! I won't live that long. :-D

JoanneS

I was beginning to think I wouldn't live that long either. The older I get, the slower I get LOL

Sadly, they were not new quilting projects. One was mending a lap quilt that I originally made for my son in '97. One DGS has nearly loved it to death. Every piece in the quilt is a diamond - a pain in the butt to mend. I still had some of the original fabrics , so I embroidered his fav animal, elephants, on some of diamonds, inserted them in the hopelessly worn-out areas, hand embroidered over some of the less-hopelessly worn areas, and I re-hand quilted most of it. I haven't HAND quilted for years, so this was truly done for love of Henry - and it took a lot more time than I expected.

The other project was sewing dresses (yes DRESSES) for my college-bound DGD. She loves dresses - looks great in them - 5'10" - long and slim waisted, so she can NEVER find anything that fits in stores. My dressmaking skills were pretty rusty, so the dresses took a lot more time than I expected, too. But I have the altered patterns, so now I can easily make more dresses.

Gerbie

Lucky you, I still can't seem to get all of my ufo's finished. I have a special quilt I want to do but have at least three others ahead of it. Time will let me make it though.